Apple is all out of iPad pre-orders, buyers can expect to wait weeks

If you haven’t pre-ordered a third generation iPad yet but plan on purchasing one, it looks like doing so is going to require some patience. In a statement Apple said that all models, colors, and capacities of the Retina display-packing tablet are sold out, something that can be confirmed by a trip to Apple.com.

On the tablet’s sale’s page any configuration of the iPad is said to be shipping in 2-3 weeks here in the United States, which means the initial run of iPads has been sold. That pushes the delivery date back from the original March 16th to March 30th or April 6th. It’s not too long to wait, but with all the excitement over the device, it’ll probably seem like a long time (trust me). This iPad went on pre-order in 11 markets in addition to the United States on its announcement date, including German, Japan, France, Australia, and Canada, which surely added to the initial wave of demand.

Instead of pre-ordering potential buyers can always go to their local retailer and try to buy an iPad, but that’s often easier in theory than it is in practice. The early days of an Apple launch mean long lines at the Apple stores (especially here in New York City), and very limited units at other vendors. Buyers might get lucky by going through Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Best Buy, or other non-Apple resellers though. The desperate will resort to Craigslist and eBay (please don’t), where the laws of supply and demand will mercilessly throttle their wallets.

While the previous iPads sold considerable numbers at launch, Apple’s statement noted that demand for the third generation model was “off the charts”. It’ll be interesting to see if more people simply want to purchase a “post-PC” device or if they are being sold by the presences of the Retina display or even LTE. It’s likely a combination of factors, but there is no questioning that demand is high and awareness is even higher.